Inside the Cruise Ship at the Center of a Rare Hantavirus Outbreak

Health workers get off the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius, a cruise ship carrying nearly 150 people as it remains off Cape Verde after three passengers died and several others fell seriously ill in a suspected hantavirus outbreak, on May 4, 2026. Qasem Elhato via APPRAIA, Cape Verde—Footage obtained by The Associated Press of a cruise ship at the center of a rare-virus outbreak shows deserted decks and gathering areas, medical teams in protective gear, and a still landscape ahead as the vessel and its nearly 150 passengers and crew waited another day off the coast of West Africa.Three passengers have died and at least four people have been sick in what health officials say is an outbreak of hantavirus, which usually spreads by inhaling contaminated rodent droppings. The World Health Organization said passengers are isolating in their cabins.